Plenty of doggie cuddles at the North Devon Show - North Devon Hospice

Did you visit the North Devon Show? Ali Hunt, Head of Fundraising at North Devon Hospice, and the hospice team had a fantastic day bringing magical moments to hospice supporters…

For many of us here in beautiful North Devon, the North Devon Show is one of the highlights on our annual calendar. Situated in the picturesque surroundings of the rolling Umberleigh countryside, this iconic event is always a fantastic day out and offers local businesses, traders, and charities like North Devon Hospice the chance to interact face-to-face with our wonderful community – a real pleasure, especially after Covid.

This year’s show was no exception and despite the unsettled weather (can you ever trust a British summer?!), it was brilliant to see so many of you brave the rain and mud to visit our stand and show your support for your local hospice.

As well as sharing more about our vital care, we wanted visitors to experience first-hand some of the magical moments your kindness makes possible for the people we support.

For some of our patients, this is savouring an indulgent treat in the comfort of their hospice bedroom with a warming cuppa or as part of an Afternoon Tea celebration with family or friends. Thanks to our talented Catering Team, many of you got to taste the delicious cakes that so often give those in our care a comforting lift and make them smile on what can be their darkest days.

For others, it’s a visit from our Pet Therapy dog Obie that brightens their day and offers the chance to enjoy a sensory experience while making a new and affectionate friend. Luckily for us, our gentle giant Obie was on hand at the show with his lovely owner Ceri to give plenty of doggie cuddles to everyone he met and make lots of new friends!

Sometimes for patients, those moments of joy can be found during a complementary therapy session, when relief is given both physically and mentally through specialist therapies. To demonstrate the power of touch, our therapists and nurses treated visitors to a soothing hand massage, providing a few moments of relaxation during an incredibly busy day.

But when you’re facing a life-limiting illness, it’s often those small or everyday moments with the people you love that can feel the most magical. Whether it’s enjoying a special meal together by candlelight or snuggling up in our cosy family lounge for a movie night, we do whatever we can to help patients create memories that will really mean something to them and their loved ones. To remind you of this, our nurses gave out tiny popcorn pots and talked about how donations and support from you - our incredible hospice community - make moments like these and so many more possible.

If you were a visitor to our North Devon Show stand last Wednesday, I want to thank you for coming to see us. At North Devon Hospice, we are here for you and because of you. I look forward to seeing you again at next year’s show!

Written by Ali Hunt, Head of Fundraising at North Devon Hospice